Urumaco

Urumaco, located in Falcón State, Venezuela, is renowned for its exceptional paleontological significance due to its rich repository of fossils. This site, uncovered due to oil exploration activities, is uniquely accessible because of its arid environment, which prevents vegetation from obscuring fossils. The area has unveiled enormous fossil discoveries, including the largest turtle, Stupendemys geographicus, and the giant rodent, Phoberomys pattersoni, both hailing from the Miocene epoch. These discoveries have placed Urumaco as the most fossil-rich zone in northern South America. The establishment of the Museo Paleontológico de Urumaco in 2000 and the Archaeology and Paleontology Park in nearby La Cruz de Taratara underscore the site's significance in understanding the prehistoric ecosystems of South America.